Issue number 34. Why don’t we talk about convivality ? That which gives us a break and an opportunity to share time with others. Too nice, too sweet ? It certainly lacks gravitas in these serious times. But how do we get away from the seriousness for a while ? Perhaps by bringing a little lightness through…conviviality ? It often starts with a good plate. Seriously! Next issue out on February 5th.

MEMBERS ONLY BUT NOT PRIVATE!

Why don’t we take a leaf out of our American friends’ book and set up a club for the slightest activity by meeting up with people we don’t know that well to share our love of something? Some call them “boudoirs” or “salons” if they are trying to make them sound more chic or more French. But it’s all good.

Imagine… You love knitting but prefer to keep it to yourself for fear of mockery or incomprehension. So, you discreetly invest in needles, balls of wool, patterns… You start off, alone. You sink rather than swim… And it all ends up in a drawer, with you wondering if it was a good idea after all. Too much French intellectualising… In the United States, it’s much simpler: you find or set up a club to share the same centre of interest. In a very short time you find you progress, show your creations to a supportive public who encourage you to keep going… American pragmatism. Not to mention a good dose of gratification.You prefer to read? Perfect! You will easily find a group with which to share your emotions or disappointments, debate a scene, read a passage, discover new authors, all without standing on ceremony… You are more into baking, tuning, painting on ceramics, origami? They all work too. There are good reasons for all universes!

These meetings are moments of real freedom. Where you can finally give your time only to your hobby. They are also a chance to try something out. To dare an activity regardless of what it is rather than saying “someday, I’m going to take up…”. It’s better than all of those self-help and personal development guides!Finally, it is above all a chance to meet up with friends in a different context, or even to pass on your obsession to them. It is a chance to set a date, to see people on a recurring basis and to take the time to chat in another context. A chance to broaden your circle of acquaintances to include people you would never have met otherwise. And to enjoy their company. And open your mind. You already opened it to knitting. With all this, what about your chakras!

FUNNY GAMES?

Humour is being honoured at the moment. Or more like dishonoured. And this has led to the question being asked all over town: what does it mean to be funny today? Truly! Humourists play in different categories: broad like Bigard or Dubosc, self-deprecating like Foresti, imitation like Canteloup or Gerra, pointing the finger like Robin and provocation like Bedos (the son), Guillon or Proust.

Provocation? More like assassination. These famous “snipers”, as the press is fond of calling them, are constantly shooting. The problem is, for some of them, there seems to be a competition to see who can be the “meanest”. As a pretext for “undermining the powers that be”, to cause “upheaval”, it becomes a weapon. But not of those that defend ideas or denounce others with finesse. No, those that profoundly hurt or damage with their aggressive poison. Of course, there will always be one or two sentences which will make us laugh. So what? Is that enough to condone this venom? And, at the same time, make ourselves malicious? In addition, even if some well-regarded journalists or other personalities – from all political and social walks of life – find it entertaining.

But who would dare contradict them? Who would risk the collateral damage of becoming a target? Because this is also one of the big issues: when they are not targeting a person in particular, these humourists use their sketches to settle personal scores: Guillon with Bern after he was fired from France Inter, Bedos with the cops after being arrested for drunk driving… To mention but a few. Having said that, it is funny when they attack each other. A competition!

Gone are the days of humourists like Le Luron or Coluche who managed to get their message across without being insulting. Gone are the days of intelligent and pertinent humour. Come on guys, you must be joking?

FUTURE NOW

The inverted curve?There are others apart from the one we talked about so much. Others that didn’t follow the experts’ predictions to the letter…

The TGV and its futuristic line that was supposed to make all other trains look hokey is losing speed: 50 % of the lines are in the red (higher prices, delays…)However, the CD, another symbol of modernity also born at the start of the eighties was perhaps given a premature retirement date as it was considered to be the main loser in the download revolution. Result: sales up by 9% in 2013. Fans of Stromae or Maître Gims are responsible, as they seem to prefer a concrete contact with their idols, through the disc.Finally, the 3000 independent bookshops who were expected to cave when faced with the ogre Amazon will not be abandoned by the powers that be. A legal loophole, added to the one Jack Lang instituted in 1981 will protect books from the price cutting of dotcom retailers. Sales of digital books that everyone will soon have in their pockets or bags only increased 1.5% last year.

And we wonder if the “commentators”, whether they belong to the media, advertising or trend bureaux, haven’t forgotten to leave things to the present. To do whatever it likes.

SAGA… CITY!

From the outside, nothing predestined them to find themselves in the same room and to become friends. Nothing predestined them to get to know and like one another. Nothing predestined this, except their stalled, not to say “failed” writing careers!

There are four of them and they come from all walks of life, which leads to plenty of mistrust and prejudice to begin with. There is the screenplay writer narrator Marco, who has yet to produce any significant work but who is prepared to sell his soul for a job. Then there is Louis, who did have a golden age at Cinecittà years earlier but who is now but a has-been. There is the pretty Mathilde who writes only romance novels so not top of the pile. And finally there is Jerome, the sci-fi fan who can’t cope with the real world…They are thus the perfect group to write a sitcom to fill the quotas of French programming on TV, without making any waves or having too many pretensions. Obviously, nothing goes to plan. The four losers, who are at first courteous then curious about the others before developing real affinities, will pool their worlds, their passions and their inspiration to provide us with a Saga that will take them, and us, way beyond all imagination, expect that of the author, the amazingly talented Tonino Benacquista.

It is a novel that does us good. A novel that tells of the power of words and stories, the power of fiction. It is funny and intelligent. In other words “It’s a laugh”! But it is also an amazing account of the underbelly of the television industry. But not the ones we usually hear. It was published in 1997 and is still shockingly true and modern. The sort of novel that you don’t want to put down or finish… If only Tonino Benacquista had turned it into a Saga.

MATRIMANDIR

What’s left of the big hippy dreams shot through with Indian wisdom? In Auroville, the utopian village created in 1968 near Pondichery as a "place of universal community where men and women would learn to live in peace, in perfect harmony", is the Matrimandir, the building considered to be the soul of the place. Frédéric Delangle* magnified the curves and the red depth of the interior of this spherical light-filled monument that is still very difficult to access.

THE DISH THAT MAKES US MELT

Let’s talk about beef bourguignon. At least this is a part of the French way of life that Newsweek can’t criticise! Indeed, not only is this traditional dish not contributing to the “decline of France” announced by the journalist Janine di Giovanni on January 3rd last but it is even highlighted in the famous television programme Desperate Housewives, by Lynette who hopes to reconquer her husband with the dish…

Following the model of the pot-au-feu, as it involves cooking pieces of beef for a long time, the preparation is more luxurious in this case as the meat is cooked in wine, not water! We understand why this dish brought such joy to the peasantry on feast days, before becoming traditional Sunday fare.This is a local recipe that, as is obvious from the name, comes from the Bourgogne region known not only for the excellence of its Charolais beef but also for its world renowned vineyards. A match made in heaven! And while some people insist on the notion of the “true” recipe (using onions, mushrooms and bacon), it is because there are numerous variants according to regions and countries! So, in the northern mining regions and in Belgium, the “carbonade flamande”, (the name of which evokes a resemblance to lumps of coal) is made with beer… Even further away in Russia, Beef Stroganoff) is simmered in tomato puree diluted with a little white wine, sour cream (smetana), and the essential paprika… This blend of white wine and tomatoes is also to be found in the estouffade de bœuf, variation, notably under the Provencal sun.

Most recipes do not specify which cut of meat to choose, often just saying to buy “pieces of beef for beef bourginon”, leaving it up to the butcher to understand what. Nevertheless it is good to know that the cuts used are chuck, topside and rump – possibly the hardest to cook but that become tender in the wine-filled liquid. A very common way of life…

TELLY-CONSECRATION

It is a well-known fact that we have often expounded on here: journalism leads to everything, as long as you leave it.But so does television!The proof can be seen in the respective and prestigious nominations that have just occurred days apart of Bernard Pivot and Pierre Lescure at the head of two historical cultural competitions. Pivot has been made President of the Académie Goncourt and Lescure of the Cannes Film Festival from next year.

We are thrilled for literature and for the cinema. The choices breathe legitimacy and merit. A good thing.Pivot. “Apostrophes”. Five or six authors on the show with one theme. And a gifted presenter who always asked the question the audience wanted to ask at the right time. Bernard Pivot was always on the side of the viewer, as if sitting on the couch. Today, with his presidential double-voice, we can trust him to continue to work in the public’s interest.Lescure’s career began when he was twenty. He was an early partisan of the “music and news” blend, the inventor of “Les Enfants du rock” then the director of news at Antenne 2 before becoming the brains behind Canal + (with the multi-broadcast of films…) and later on he took over the Théâtre Marigny. His eclecticism is breathtaking and we will no doubt see proof of it on the Croisette also from the minute Pierre Lescure arrives.

So, two pieces of good news. That we owe to TV. As long as you leave it…

Uni&Vintage -198€

Behind Uni&Vintage is the eye and imagination of one Christine Ekodo-Delaunay. So, what is her USP? She cuts up vintage clothes, scarves and fabrics, puts them together if needed with a specially dyed satin to help the fabrics blend and makes an entirely new piece. Skirts, shirts, trousers, tunics: the Uni&Vintage line proposes exclusive cuts that fall differently according to colours and prints. As a result, each design is unique and numbered as part of a broader collection.

A UNI&VINTAGE DESIGN ONLY FOR L’ACHARNŒUR

A vintage Lanvin headscarf, satin dyed in verdigris, a « kimono » cut, together form the skirt specially made for l’Acharnœur. The multitude of colours blend delicately as the bands superimpose with modernity. The inner belt is adaptable so the skirt falls perfectly on everyone regardless of size. The outer belt dresses the entire waist for an ultra-refined effect. This piece is number 1045 of the Uni&Vintage brand.

Cyrto

Cyrto is extremely shy and prefers the shadows to the light. She is an illustrator and graphic artist and is spending more and more time on her true calling: creating fantastic worlds from her own emotion, impulse and imagination. She invents but does not reinvent. She follows no trend or influence but instead takes all her inspiration from her inner self. Her uniquely artistic approach will soon be visible through her writing and directing.

CYRTO GLOVES

The whole idea comes from the glove as second skin. Cyrto creates indelible designs on gloves evoking ramifications, sketches… connections. Each piece is unique and comes only from her imagination. There are no rules, no hierarchy, the cells form every instant and grow together through paths and encounters. Her lines tell of a fantastic world that is almost invisible to the naked eye. Between tattoo art and a pseudo-botanic vision, the lines of the hand take on a new meaning.

Gloves made to order.

The approach is entirely artistic. The final piece is handed over in exchange for an envelope in which the client « gives » the amount they wish.

The Acharnœur will act as intermediary but takes no commission. For more information: avenue@acharnoeur.com

Let It Be - 63€

Created by two jewellery fans (including the ex-founder of Mercerie Moderne), Let It Be is a Parisian brand that is still quite low key. The charm lies in a collection of cheeky, sometimes ecumenical pieces but are not worn just as symbols. On the contrary: Let It Be is aimed at the liberated men or women who have decided to be themselves, instead of defining herself relative to others… Who wear Let It Be lay claim to nothing, except beauty!

THE LET IT BE SELECTIONFOR L’ACHARNŒUR

This bracelet is a key piece in the collection. It is made from soft leather and white metal, it is both chic and gothic, ultra-precious and rock and roll. The clasp dresses the wrist with a refinement and originality that attracts all women, regardless of their age or style. A stand-out piece sold exclusively on l’Acharnœur and also available without the skull.

Aline Lang - 80€

Aline Lang is a photographer and graphic artist who one day, for fun, drew a bracelet watch like a piece of film. A designer at Cartier, Omega, liked it and oriented her into watch face design. Her first watch was for the bicentenary of the French revolution. Since then she has designed over forty watches, including one for the Bibliothèque nationale. Her rare and unusual creations are born from her inspiration and are produced as limited editions.

THE ACHARNŒUR’S SELECTION

The Gallops watch. An homage to chronophotography (the decomposition of a movement by a succession of photographs) and to Muybridge’s work that in 1878, proved that the four legs of a horse leave the ground at the same time when the horse gallops. This watch was first made by a big luxury house before being edited by the Musée d’Orsay. Its leather bracelet and particularly flat face makes this version timeless.

Let It Be Men - 54€

Created by two jewellery fans (including the ex-founder of Mercerie Moderne), Let It Be is a Parisian brand that is still quite low key. The charm lies in a collection of cheeky, sometimes ecumenical pieces but are not worn just as symbols. On the contrary: Let It Be is aimed at the liberated men or women who have decided to be themselves, instead of defining herself relative to others… Who wear Let It Be lay claim to nothing, except beauty!

THE LET IT BE SELECTIONFOR L’ACHARNŒUR

This bracelet is a key piece in the collection. It is made from leather and white magnetic metal, it is both male and chic, elegant and rock and roll. Perfect alliance between sobriety and confirmed style. A stand-out piece sold exclusively on l’Acharnœur.

Gabriella de Galzain - 125€

She used to work under the name «Frénétik». Today Gabriella de Galzain is coming out of hiding and is launching her eponymous brand. She makes baroque, romantic, rock n’ roll jewellery that expresses a bohemian spirit of elegance and freedom, paying homage to the most beautiful icons. Her undeniable talent can be seen in brooches, necklaces, earrings, cuff-links… She counts many stars among her greatest fans and some of her pieces tell the most beautiful stories.

A GABRIELLA DE GALZAIN DESIGN ONLY FOR L’ACHARNŒUR

We requested an homage to the Eiffel Tower. Only for l'Acharnœur, Gabriella de Galzain came up with this timeless yet contemporary brooch. The blend of off-whites means it can be worn at all times. Pearls, chains, crystals, ceramic flowers… The codes of elegance and femininity with an essential touch of impertinence. All the audacity of the “Grand Dame” herself.

PARIS’ SECRET WEAPON

Feel like smiles and “bonne bouffe”? Head for the 17th arrondissement in Paris. In a neighbourhood that has a few southern-flavoured addresses, you can now find “La Rosa”. And despite a level of competition that goes well beyond a few streets, this Italian restaurant stands out already after only a month in business.

As you walk in the door, there is a genuine spontaneity that is never overdone in the sing-song Italian or “Frantalian” welcome. We like. The two small rooms have been decorated in chic bistro style. While we do get a little transalpine taste with a few decorative objects or artisanal products here and there, the owners have had the good taste to avoid the chequered tablecloth clichés that one should only find in long-established local eateries.

But the extraordinary thing is the menu. Words like “clams”, “black truffles”, “mascarpone cream” associated with “garlic”, “fresh pasta” or “hazelnuts” which mean that you have no choice but to go for starter, main course and dessert. In addition, why not, given the reasonable prices? Set menus for between 17€ and 19€, dishes costing 16€ rather than 25€… And when the plates arrive, you are glad you trusted your intuition. The only thing you didn’t plan for was the quantity! The servings are more than generous to the extent that a customer nearby warned “You should let people know…; Your antipasti plate isn’t a starter, it is a main course!”. Yes, but just like in Italy!

So we tend to imagine a typical Italian “Mama” in the kitchen. One of those who takes one look at you and decides to cheer you up with some decent food. Except the Mama is a young Italian chef Emiliano Marzini who has worked in some of Tuscany’s best restaurants. Every day he proposes a personal cuisine with daily specials and an à la carte menu made daily with fresh products according to his inspiration of the moment. And as he is working in the kitchen, his wife Bérénice is making sure everything goes smoothly in the restaurant. And it does. What a treat!

SEVERIN MACHINE

A crepe party? A Raclette? Or pierrade (hot stones)? All three please! With this magic machine, all tastes and all friends can find a place at the table. However, there is still no solution for the smell!

BAR-RESTAURANT Metro Abbesses Line 12

If you are looking for a convivial ambience and don’t mind a crush, go visit the family on a little street on the butte Montmartre. You will be stunned by the conceptual dishes and cocktails, as graphically visual as they are delicious, with a creative fusion vibe. The decor is simple as is the menu which is seasonal and surprising (lemon tart as a three-parter…), not to mention the highly appreciated talents of the barman. A rendezvous with talent.

GRAVITY ISSUES

8h30. You’re late for work, you press desperately on the lift button. It’s been stuck on seven for three minutes… When it stops on your floor, your neighbour’s new lover is already in there. Of course he is. Thinking it’s ok to monopolise the lift for one last kiss… You get in, the door closes making the silence feel abnormal. It’s weird feeling uneasy and not talking! But you won’t force yourself for this stranger. You keep that for your neighbours. Neighbours you are thrilled to chat with over a drink but with whom you exchange banalities going up or down a few floors. It has to be said, the one time you attempted a subject more interesting than the weather, your companion slipped out the door the second it opened leaving you in the middle of a sentence... Was he in such a hurry that he was afraid you’d go on too long? Since then you have been racked with doubt, no knowing what attitude to take the next time you meet him.

Deep in your thoughts, you finally get to the office. Luckily for you, you are not the only one with punctuality issues. Unluckily for you, everyone else is trying to make up for it. So a herd of ten people squeeze into a space made for seven. The smarter ones will tell you it’s a question of maximum weight… But does everyone then have to admit their weight? You can always refuse to get in to avoid over-packing but you took too long to decide. You should have gone for the “physical exercise” option straight away. Your second of uncertainty could be taken for disdain…

The day goes by, and it’s time for home. But your building’s lift is out of order. What a pain! Suddenly M. Forgeois appears. The same guy who walked out on your conversation the other day… “Oh, what were you saying the other day, it sounded interesting but I had to fly…” Reassuring. Until you realise you will have to talk all the way up the five flights. Anyone up for a remake of “Breathless”?

MICRO DORTOIR

Fun Radio, the call-in show. With my walk-man glued to my ears every night, in secret, having to replace the batteries every week.

One day, FM radio was born. So my teenage years were filled with music but mostly talking, advice, practical jokes. Every night between 10 pm and 3 am behind my mother’s back, she only found out about this three years ago, I had a feeling of opening a window onto the outside world from my bed, knowing that everyone was asleep, quite alone in my cocoon, watching the hours go by. It filled my dreams before I even fell asleep, like so many teenagers of my age. I was only 13 years old when I started, but as I already loved the atmosphere of the night, I was hooked. Because everything is different at night.The DJ’s voice, talking to me, what does he look like? Where is he? What about the team? What does the studio look like? I could only dream, fantasise about the radio station. This mystery goes a long way in explaining why radio presenter is such a dream job. For me it was Max on Star System. From listening every night, his voice became familiar, I listened to his advice, and I learned from his experience. I felt like I knew him, like a big brother, always there, at the same time. I never got tired of it until I was eighteen. One walkman replaced another.

I never lost my passion for music. At the age of 23 in 2003, I sent a test tape to a local radio station in Lyon and they hired me. Since then I’ve worked for NRJ radio and I am a DJ on the weekend. For some, getting behind a camera is their thing, for me it was getting behind a mike. And how funny to see the spark in the eyes of the fifteen –year old interns who come to work at the station now and again. "So this is what it’s like…!"